CSC Blog

Well, it’s a year and a few days away…and I’m thinking about it…

The real Cannonball…my buddy Alan over at MSILSF must have a mind that goes 24/7!  What a cool idea!   And hey, I couldn’t resist…I had this photo in my collection from an April 2007 visit to Sandy Hook’s Fort Hancock…take a look a one of the shore battery defensive cannons and a couple of, well, real cannonballs!

Arlene’s already entered in the Cannonball…it most definitely would be a great ride…and we would get to see the US from the ground…

Speaking of which, one of my good buddies was actually my next door neighbor back when I was a kid…literally from Day One for me.   Paul is a couple of years older than me, so he was there when the folks brought me home when I was born, and we still talk regularly via e-mail.   Talk about a life-long friendship!  So anyway, Paul sent me one of those cool emails that make the rounds (we’re both gun nuts), and it kind of ties in to the Cannonball because it talks about different parts of the country.  Here’s the note I received from Paul, with a few comments from me…

On the news this week was a story about a southern California man put under 72-hour psychiatric observation when it was found he owned 100 guns and allegedly had (by rough estimate) 1-million rounds of ammunition stored in his home. The house also featured a secret escape tunnel. 

My favorite quote from the dimwit television reporter: “Wow!  He has about a million machine gun bullets.” The headline referred to it as a “massive weapons cache.”  (Note from me:  “dimwit television reporter” is a bit redundant, don’t you think?)

By southern California standards someone even owning 100,000 rounds would be called “mentally unstable.” 

Just imagine if he lived elsewhere: 

• In Arizona he’d be called “an avid gun collector.”
• In Arkansas , he’d be called “a novice gun collector.”
• In Utah , he’d be called “moderately well prepared,” but they’d probably reserve judgment until they made sure that he had a corresponding quantity of stored food.
• In Montana , he’d be called “The neighborhood ‘Go-To’ guy.”
• In Idaho , he’d be called “a likely gubernatorial candidate.”
• In Wyoming , he’d be called “an eligible bachelor.”
• And, in Texas , he’d be called, “my huntin’ buddy.”   (Note from me again…I used to live in Texas…and I had more than a few huntin’ buddies just like this guy.)

Good stuff, and good for a laugh with my morning cup of coffee.  Keep ’em coming, Paul.

And speaking of firearms…another cool story.   I bought a rifle through one of the Internet gun auction sites a few months ago, and when it arrived, I had to wait 10 days to take ownership (that’s the People’s Republik of Kalifornia’s mandatory 10-day waiting period…I sure miss living in Texas).  After waiting my 10 days, I took possession and I was disappointed.  The Leupold scope had a cracked lens and there were a few other things wrong with the rifle.

I called the guy from whom I had purchased the rifle, and he claimed it must have happened during shipment.   Right.  Sure.  You know how that goes.  Anyway, I don’t get too upset about these kinds of things at my age, and I wanted the rifle.  So I sent an email to Leupold’s service department asking what it would cost to get the scope repaired.  They gave me an estimate of $60 to fix the thing (which seemed pretty reasonable), and off it went for repairs.  Leupold is the Rolls Royce of rifle scopes, and to me it was worth a relatively inexpensive repair.  Shoot, that’s less than what it costs to fill my car’s gas tank.

The bottom line to this story?   The scope arrived in the mail yesterday, in literally better than new condition.   The repair charge?  $0.00.   You can bet I’ll never buy any scope other than a Leupold.  Nicely done, guys, and thanks very much!

We had a great ride up in the mountains yesterday.   I guess I should start out with an apology (always a bad idea), but the fact is the weather was so beautiful yesterday (and the riding was so awesome) that I didn’t grab too many photos.   I was just having too much fun.  It had been too long since I’d been on a good ride, and I was more focused on the riding than my Nikon was on the scenery!

Yours truly, Bruce, Arlene (the "Shark"), and Steve all the way at the top of Highway 39!

The anticipation started this week when we planned the ride.  The Donut Man.   The ride along Sierra Madre.   Highway 39 up into the San Gabriel Mountains.   East Fork.   Glendora Ridge Road.   Lunch at the Mt. Baldy Lodge.   Glorious riding.  Grand weather.  You get the idea.

Lupe had put new brake pads on my Baja Blaster the day before.   I spent a couple of hours detailing my bike up on my Harbor Freight motorcycle lift that night.   My red Classic glistened.  I was ready!

I was up at 0:Dark:30, I quickly dressed, I did my normal Windex faceshield wipe, I had a quick cup of coffee, I pulled on my CSC Tourmaster jacket, and I rolled my CSC out of the garage.   I made the usual obligatory pre-ride stop at the local larcenous petrol pusher (give it your best shot with your $4.40 per gallon thievery, you crooks…my ride gets 98 mpg!).  On to La Verne and the CSC plant!

I arrived way early (I was too excited about the ride not to), and Bruce and Gordon were right behind me.  We ducked over to Merendero’s for a cup of coffee and then we went back to the plant.  After picking up Steve and Arlene, the ride was on!

California Scooters lined up in the Donut Man parking lot!

Our first destination was the Donut Man.   It’s famous, both locally and beyond.  The LA Times even did a story on the place a few years ago (a brief departure from the usual silly stuff they repetitively regrind).   The Donut Man is an icon…a true So Cal original.  The line was long (it always is), but the wait was worth it…the donuts are works of art.  I ate my own little Picasso (it was so huge I could only eat half), and one of the customers waiting in line recognized Arlene from her appearance on Shark Tank.  Everybody joked about how TV puts 10 pounds on you (you could only have a conversation like that in southern California).   I think that must be my problem.  Yeah, that’s it…I must have been on TV too many times.

The weather yesterday was absolutely perfect.   70 degrees.  Sunny.   Not a cloud in the sky.   We wound through the surface streets into north Glendora.  Awesome riding, with the promise of even more just up ahead.

We turned right onto Highway 39 and headed north into the San Gabriels.  I should have hung back and grabbed more photos, but I was just having too much fun.  We were in the twisties.  The bikes were singing.   Lean to the right, lean to the left….lean to the right again.   The little CSC took it all in stride.   I chose a careful line and many of the corners effectively become straights bordered by undulating asphalt on either side.   Cutting corners to get through quickly…it’s where the expression “cutting corners” must have originated.  Man, this is fun!

The view from up front...

Bruce on one of the Turquoise Twins tooling up on Highway 39

Our next turn was way up ahead (the East Fork Road), but I smoked right past it.   Highway 39 dead ends high up in the San Gabriels.  Our plan was to run up to the end, and then turn around.  When they built Highway 39, the original concept back during the WPA days (the original economic stimulus package enacted during the Great Depression) was for Highway 39 to run all the way to Highway 2, the Angeles Crest Highway.   I guess their recovery occurred a bit too soon, though, because work stopped before the two roads intersected.   Parts of Highway 39’s northern end fell into disrepair (it was the classic highway to nowhere), and whoever it is that decides these things closed the northern part of the road.  You know you’ve reached the end because there are big orange gates spanning the road.

This morning, though, was different.  We came to the first Highway 39 gate (which is normally closed), and it was open.  Wow.  Onward and upward (literally).  We came to a second gate (which is the highest I’d ever been on this road before).  It, too, was open.  Wowsers!  We kept going.   Yet a third gate was open.   We were a good 20 miles further north on this road than I’d ever been before we finally hit a gate left unopened.   If they ever do open this road all the way to the Crest, it’s going to be beyond glorious.   Yesterday, it was absolutely glorious.    What a ride!

Gordon and Bruce at the northern terminus of Highway 39

Our good buddy Bruce Montgomery in the San Gabriel Mountains

Looking back down at the road we had just climbed on our California Scooters!

We stopped, grabbed a few photos, and headed back down.   When we arrived at the East Fork, we took it, skirting through the canyon carved by the San Gabriel River’s, um, East Fork.   Awesome twisties and more awesome riding.   I was out front.   I was living large.   My good buddies on their California Scooters were right behind me.   Great riding.  Great day.

Bruce at my 6:00!

A quick right turn, and we were climbing up into the hills again.  Like always, I was amazed that a little 150cc engine could haul my been-on-TV-too-many-times fat butt up these hills.   The bike was absolutely purring.  We hit the three-way intersection (East Fork, Glendora Mountain Road, and Glendora Ridge Road) and turned east again on Glendora Ridge Road.  There were a bunch of bikes parked at this intersection (it’s a popular spot for riders to stop and socialize), but we pushed on.  Lunch was waiting for us at the Mt. Baldy Lodge.

Glendora Ridge Road...right on the ridge!

And a grand lunch it was, too.   Great conversation.  Bikes.   Dealerships.  War stories about getting ripped off by car dealers’ service departments.   The merits of doing your own work.   Discussions about bikes, handling, seat heights, and riding (in other words, the usual motorcycle ride lunchtime conversation).  Just your typical day in paradise.  There’s nothing in the world that compares to it…especially on motorcycles, and especially with the exclusivity that comes with owning and riding a California Scooter!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy….I’m going riding tomorrow!

My Baja Blaster is a little funky right now, but I’m going to detail it tonight and it will glisten when we all get together in the morning.  I’ve been having too much fun riding my California Scooter to wash it.  I like having my bike spotless, but I like riding it even more.

You never know for sure how many people are going to show up on a ride, but all indications are this will be a good one.   We’ll have all the usual crew, and maybe a few more.   If you’re interested in joining us, be here at the plant at 8:30 in the morning.

The weather forecast has us at 87 degrees tomorrow, and I am sure looking forward to having a great ride.   If all goes as planned, we may even stop at the Donut Man, a local So Cal legend with the best donuts on the planet!

Lupe put new brake pads on the Baja Blaster for me this morning, and I just happened to have my iPhone handy when she tested them…

Keep an eye on the blog, folks…I’ll grab some photos from the ride for sure tomorrow!

So anybody who wants to tag along…well, just meet us at the shop! I’ll be posting more details as the week progresses right here on the blog. Today I realized I need to get out and ride…and the weekend promises good weather and I know the Baja Blaster’s gonna be good to go!

Hey, I just got an email from my good buddy Alan Spears over at MSILSF (that’s the Motor Scooter International Land Speed Federation), and he sent a copy of an article in Twist-N-Go magazine about the Hell’s Loop Rally.   That’s the Death Valley run that TK, Arlene, and I rode a few months ago…

They called it the ride through hell, but I gotta tell you, hell must have frozen over that day…it was cold!  And that picture showing the competitors…that’s Alan Spears in the middle (he’s the dude who looks like Santa Claus), and to the right (in the photo) you can see Arlene, me, and TK.  It sure was a fun day…and it’s all part of the CSC adventure!

I can’t wait until Saturday!

And that’s my only clue on our next secret project….any guesses?

All right…one more clue…

Until next time, boys and girls…and keep your credit cards handy!

We had a great time and sold a bunch of bikes at the Mecum event in Houston.  TK and Steve have been back for a week now, and I am just catching up with posting the last of the photos our guys grabbed while they were in the great state of Texas.   The event was great….great folks, great cars, and a great time!

Here’s a cool shot of TK with our one of our many CSC affiliates, Jim Cowan…

And here’s one of  Barbara McKenzie on her new Babydoll…

Allen Gresham getting comfortable on one of our custom CSC motorcycles…

Butch Martine at home on a CSC moto….

Jerry Owens, another new CSC owner….

Here’s Tom Seiter, another CSC rider…

Here’s Bugs Threadgill, a world-famous drag racer, signing posters for us

TK kind of fell down on this one…imagine grabbing this shot and not getting this young lady’s name!

And then we grabbed some fabulous photos of the Mecum cars and trucks….check these out!  Let’s start with a few gorgeous vintage Chevys!

How about a helicopter-engine-powered early Ford!

Or maybe a Woody…

And if that’s not rich enough for your blood, check out this ultra-cool Bentley!

Steve fell in love with this drag car…

During one of my conversations with TK I asked how the people were.  TK is a pretty nice guy, so I was shocked when he told me the folks in the next booth were a bunch of dummies…until he sent me this photo!

The Mecum event was a super deal for us, and it’s always a treat to touch down in Texas.  As was the case with the early Mustang, Texas is one of our best sales states, and we love doing business there!

That’s it for today, folks…we’ve got another secret project brewing in the back!  I’ve already grabbed a few photos, and I’ll grab a few more today…so like we always say, stay tuned!

Exciting times at the plant today, folks…

As you know, the CSC Motorcycles manufacturing facility is located on Brackett Airfield right here in southern California.  We see some exciting aircraft touch down, but today was a special treat.    The US Marine Corps’ latest short-takeoff-and-landing planes, the V22 Ospreys, shook things up a bit when they landed just a short distance from our plant (that’s funny in a way, because earlier this morning we actually had a 3.9 earthquake in So Cal…as Jerry Lee Lewis used to say, we had a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on today)!   

Steve grabbed these shots, and they’re super…just like our Marines and all of our service men and women!

Ever wonder what an actual osprey looks like?  Hey, we have you covered there, too!   When Carlos, Maria, and yours truly went down to see the whales in Baja last January, we visited a protected nesting area for (you guessed it) real ospreys.   

Ospreys are very cool birds of prey, and they are very well protected by the Mexican government.   We saw many areas where there were two telephone poles side by side, and our guides explained why:   If a pair of ospreys nest in a telephone tower, the Mexicans disable that tower and build another right next to it so as to not disturb the ospreys.   Very cool stuff.

Our good buddy Jim Cavanaugh sent this note to us a bit earlier today and I knew I had to share it with you…

Today I was going through my old Mustang file looking for material for my quarterly contribution to the Mustang Newsletter and I found this old sketch/story about Walt Fulton…While the story is “old hat” I don’t remember seeing this particular item for a very long while..Looks like I got it from the Mustang Club…You can always hit the delete button!

Cheers!

Jimbo

Jim, thanks for sending this great article to us! 

I have a few of the great photos TK and Steve grabbed at the Mecum event in Texas and I’ll be loading those soon…so watch for them!

Jerry Owens, one of our newest California Scooter owners, sent this remarkable YouTube video to TK, who forwarded it on to me.   I just had to share it with you.  Grab a cup of coffee, boys and girls, and get ready for 10 minutes of pure joy!

Jerry, we wish you the best with your new CSC motorcycle, and thanks very much for sending this video to us!

Seems like Indiana’s Governor Mitch Daniels, who rides a Harley and is being mentioned as a potential 2012 VP nominee, stirred up quite a controversy with his tongue-in-cheek pronouncement on motorcycles being a guy thing….

The controversy about the Governor’s comments is going full tilt over on Facebook (and probably elsewhere) right now.

Guys and gals, get a life!  The man was only joking (but if you read that article carefully, I gotta tell you that I have actually done most of the things he advised when I bought my old Softail back in 1992)!

Now, about the fact that he’s not on a California Scooter (yet)…that’s a problem we need to work!